The City Runners
by Myannah
Summary: Thomas and his friends wake up in an abandoned prison cell. Life outside the Maze is not what they expected and conflict comes from within. This is my depiction of what happens after Maze runner. I'm also mostly going on the movie rather than the book because I'm not done reading it yet.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Thomas woke with a jerk. Memories of the maze haunted him as he cleared his mind. He looked at his surroundings and jumped up.

"No no no no no no no." he mumbled as he took in the sight of the prison cell he was in. He saw his friends in the same cell, fast asleep. His mumbling became louder as he frantically examined the bars caging them in. His racket woke the others.

"What's going on?"

"Where are we?"

"What happened?" rambled his cellmates. Thomas started yelling for help and the boys joined in. After a while, some of the boys slipped to the floor, defeated. Thomas kept yelling.

He finally heard footsteps and on the other side of the bars, there was only a set of stairs that lead out of sight. Feet descended the stairs into view and stopped. A head bowed into view and Thomas stopped yelling.

The girl couldn't be older than ten. Her brown hair was curly and her face was speckled.

"Hey. Hey! Can you help us?" Thomas asked her. She stood upright and ran out without saying a word. Thomas jumped when he heard a strange whistle echoing down the stairs. Like some kind of a birdcall, the whistle repeated several times.

"Hey guys." Thomas had a thought. "We don't know where we are or what's going on. But we may want to stay quiet until we know something. We might be in a dangerous place. Who ever is out there might be hostile."

"Why would they be?" Newt asked.

"Because this is a test, remember?"

"They could test us again?" Teresa added.

With that, more footsteps approached and finally a young woman walked into the room. Her long blond hair was messily tied up and she was a little out of breath. She skimmed the boys and quickly raised a gun on them. They all took a step back and heeded Thomas's warning.

"Who are you?" she started asking no one in particular. She turned the gun on each of them, as her list of questions grew longer. "Where are you from? What are you doing here? Who's your leader?" etc.

No one answered but Thomas had to bite his lip to stop himself from demanding answers himself.

"You're a big bunch." She rambled for a bit but in the cell they remained quiet. She even asked if any of them understood her.

She pointed the gun at Teresa and yelled: "Where's the wizard?"

They all frowned and stared at Thomas for guidance.

"You're going to die in there. No food or place to really sleep…" She said as she moved the gun again. She started a bit of speech when Thomas heard more footsteps running closer.

"I'm here. I'm here." A voice called from the hall up the stairs.

"What took you so long?"

"I came from North Wing. I was in the Blue Neighborhood. "

"Then that was quick."

"Yes."

Another teen girl stepped down the stairs. Her hair was gold and wavy, cut inexplicably at an angle so that the left wave was longer than the right. She scanned the cell with awe and then looked at the other girl. She rolled her eyes and stepped closer to her.

"You have to be stupid to think that they will say anything with a gun pointed at them. Honestly I don't know why you still think you run this place, Heidi."

Heidi narrowed her eyes and turned the gun on the newcomer who quickly grabbed her wrist and twisted out of shot. She held the gun pointed at the wall behind her as she grabbed it from the top. She pried it from Heidi's fingers and took a quick step back as Heidi reached for her.

"Go on Heidi." She nodded at the door. Heidi did not look happy. "It's almost nightfall."

"Yes it is. I'll stay here." They stared at each other for a minute and then Heidi stepped back with a grunt. She leaned against the wall and remained quiet. The other girl turned her eyes on the cell and watched them carefully.

"Who's your leader?" she asked gently. Thomas felt almost inclined to answer her. She scanned their scared faces and sighed. "You don't have to be scared. We're more afraid of you than you are of us. Trust me." Newt snorted and her attention went straight to him.

"There are more of you than there are of us." She stated simply. "What's your name?"

"What's yours?" Newt asked quickly. She smiled and moved on to the other boys.

"Is he the leader?" Heidi asked as she pointed at Newt.

"No." The other girl mumbled and her eyes finally settled on Thomas. "This one is."

She stared at Thomas for a while. The other boys looked between them but kept to themselves.

"What's your name?" She asked him. He glanced at the boys and then answered her.

"I'm Thomas. But I'm not the leader."

"Not by choice, no." she specified. "But they will follow you to their deaths."

"Face!" Heidi whined. "Time!" The girl with the strange hair looked at Heidi quickly and back to Thomas with a sense of resolve.

"Thomas. We will let you out; take you to a place that's safe. You'll get food and a place to sleep."

Thomas started asking her questions but she cut him off.

"All your questions will be answered. But you have to follow the rules."

"Is it safe?" Heidi asked. The girl scanned them quickly and stepped closer to Thomas.

"Listen to me Thomas. I promise you that we are not here to harm you. You have to do as you're told. You don't know what is out there. We do. Let us get you safe."

Thomas nodded and turned to his cellmates. "Let's do as they say, guys." Everyone nodded. Newt kept his eye on the girl. She nodded at Heidi who then grabbed a key off the wall and started unlocking the cell gate.

"Keep an eye on him." She pointed at Newt as they walked closer to the gate. She nodded and turned to the door.

"Where are you going?" Heidi called as the other girl raced up the steps.

"The Blue Neighborhood." She called out of sight.

"You're going to die out there." Heidi yelled but there was no reply. "Your funeral." She mumbled as she started ushering the boys upstairs.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Heidi escorted them out the cell, up the stairs and down a hallway to a steel door. Outside the door was a porch that led out to a sandy street. As they approached the edge of the porch, Thomas saw that it was a dune reaching up to a second floor balcony. The entire street was covered in mounds of red sand. The buildings looked neglected and almost destroyed. The sun was setting in the far west and cast long shadows on the hills of sand.

Heidi stepped onto the sand and glided down the hill. They followed. At the bottom, she set off across the street and around another building. They ran for what felt like forever and after the fifth turn, Thomas stopped trying to remember the directions. They took a turn and headed towards the tallest and only maintained building.

It looked about ten stories high. It was on large support beams like a parking lot. In the middle underneath it was an open metal frame with a ladder leading into the building. A guy stood on the frame and watched them as they ran in under the building.

"Big bounty, Heidi." He said surprised.

"Let's hope these last." Heidi replied as she climbed the ladder and motioned for them to follow.

Newt went first and Thomas stayed behind as everyone climbed up. Once he was up, Heidi was gone. In her place stood a younger girl. This one had red hair, which she had bradded down her back. She looked to be twelve but had a stern look on her face.

"I'm Anna. I'll show you around." She turned and walked across the room. "This is the loading dock." She gestured to the almost empty room. The floor was cold cement and there were a few crates standing around.

Anna walked up to an elevator and pushed the button.

"You have electricity?" One of the boys asked, shocked.

"Yes. Limited to lights between lockdown and bedtime, water heaters twice a day and the elevator." The elevator arrived and they all got on. It was a rather large elevator with glass walls.

As it rose Anna gave them all a once over but said nothing. They arrived on the sixth floor and they walked across a small hall and into a dorm room that looked very much like an army dorm or a hospital room. Each bed was neatly made with flimsy curtains around the four-posters.

Anna pulled on Teresa's shirt and spoke to her, "Do you want to sleep in the girl's room, or are you fine with staying here with your brothers?"

Teresa looked at them for a second and then back at Anna.

"I'll stay here."

"Okay. You can all go to wardrobe on level eight in the morning and get new clothes, if you want. This is where you will sleep every night. It's not assigned beds, mostly because we didn't know you were coming, but please make your own bed in the morning because no one will do it for you." Little Anna instructed. She stopped for a second when a loud chime echoed in the hall.

"Girls shower at night after dinner, boys in the morning before breakfast." She continued as if the sound didn't faze her. Muffled clinks and crashes could be heard from the walls, the dim light outside seemed to disappear and the lights inside flickered on.

"Shower quickly because each shower turns to cold water after ten minutes. The showers are on level seven. There are regular bathrooms on each level. Cafeteria is on the third level where you will receive two meals a day. For the rest of the day we all have jobs and tasks to do. You'll probably get assignments tomorrow."

"What is this place? What just happened?" Thomas asked.

"We call this the Manor. That was just lockdown. To keep us safe."

"Safe from what?" Newt asked.

"Everything that is out there." She said as if it was a stupid question. She turned on her heel and headed back to the elevator. "Come on now. It's dinnertime. There might even be a party tonight."

As the elevator approached the cafeteria, they could hear music. Through the glass, they saw close to a hundred kids playing and running around. Boys and girls of all ages. When the doors opened, a hush fell over the room and was broken by an awkward applause.

"You can sit anywhere. The food's not bad. You make a line over there," She pointed at the far wall where a few teens were scurrying to set the food out. "Be civil and we'll all get along."

Anna walked towards a table and tapped on it. The boys sat down and stared around the room. They were being stared at too by everyone else.

Thomas saw the girl with the skew haircut sitting by herself. She had her nose in a book and ignored everyone else.

"Hey, I'll be back." He stood from his seat. The group watched him as he walked away. Newt murmured and shook his head, turning his attention to his friends.

Thomas walked up the girl and waited for her to drop her book. She looked up at him and motioned for him to sit. She closed her book and they stared at each other for a while before he spoke.

"Okay, okay. Um. I want to thank you."

"What for?" She frowned.

"For getting us out of that cell."

She smiled. She was actually really pretty. Her eyes were emerald green and she had dimples when she smiled.

"We wouldn't have kept you in there." She said. "It's not safe. And despite Heidi's attempts at dictatorship she has failed several times to take over."

"She has access to guns?" Thomas stated rather than asked.

"She's not dangerous. She's just as scared as the rest of us." She glanced over his shoulder and saw Newt staring.

"Your pretty friend over there doesn't like me. That's a problem." Thomas turned and caught Newt glaring.

"We're all scared too." He said with a catch in his throat. She studied his face and took his hand in hers.

"It's going to be okay, Thomas. I know how you feel. We all do."

Newt watched from across the room. Anna showed up with a cart of drinks and sat down next to him. As the table occupants hurried to get drinks, Anna followed his gaze.

"Who's she?" Newt asked her.

"That's Face."

"Her name is Face?" Newt frowned. "Why?" he asked no one in particular.

"Isn't it obvious?" Frypan stated as he indicated his face. "She's beautiful."

"Yeah..." Anna thought. "No, it's not like that, although it does fit that way, doesn't it? We call her Wizard too." The table watched her, waiting for her to explain. "She reads faces. It sometimes feels as if she can read your mind."

"Reads faces?" Minho mumbled as they considered the concept.

"Her real name is Sayde or something." Anna continued, oblivious to the fact that it didn't make sense.

"What do you mean she reads faces?"

"It means I can tell when you lie." Face answered Thomas's similar question. "Body language says a lot more than your words do. That's how I knew you were the leader, and that pretty friend of yours is the linchpin."

"How?"

"Everyone was looking between the both of you for guidance. However he was looking at you too. You were the only one who wasn't looking at anyone else. The girl was standing near you, which means she has a closer connection to you than anyone else. Everyone had a look of intense fear on their faces but you also had a strange look of purpose on yours. That's the same look Heidi had on her face when she turned the gun on me."

Thomas stared at her in disbelief.

"Furrowed brows, dark squinted eyes, a set jaw, tight face." She explained. She pointed at his current expression. "Right now you have trouble believing me. Slack jaw, open eyed, a frown between the brows."

Thomas relaxed his face and she smiled.

"Thomas!" Newt called from across the room. They had stood and were lining up to get food. Thomas nodded and stood.

"That's really cool. Useful." He said to Face.

"Sometimes." She pulled her book closer but remained seated.

"Can I come ask you some more questions later?"

"Sure."

But after dinner, when he turned back to her table, she was gone. Anna took Teresa to the shower hall and she returned smelling like soap, dressed in a sleeping gown. She had a new day outfit with her and she placed it on a small dresser next to an open bed. As the boys were running around the room picking their beds the lights went out. They all dropped on the nearest bed and fell asleep. Thomas, Minho and Newt had decided to take beds near the door just to keep the others safe.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Long after the boys' whispers died down, Thomas lay awake staring into the darkness. He eventually drifted into slumber but was jerked awake by a whisper. He looked up and saw the lovely Face smile down at him. She beckoned him out and he followed until they were out in the hall. She illuminated their path with a lantern and stopped when they were far enough to whisper. She was wearing a thin green Egyptian style dress, similar to Teresa's sleeping gown.

"I knew you were going to sleep by the door." She whispered with a grin. "You're a natural protector. Makes for a great leader." She turned away and walked into a stairwell. "Follow me." She added when he just stared after her.

They didn't stop climbing until they reached a door. She stopped and turned to face him.

"We have to be careful from here on out. We cannot talk above a whisper. I'm about to make this a lot scarier but you have to understand, there is no way to explain this and we can't bring all of you up here."

"What are you talking about?"

Face reached out and touched his face. She evened out the frown on his brow and sighed. It wasn't an affectionate action.

"Come on." She took his hand and switched off the lantern before opening the door. Leaving the lantern in the stairwell they stepped onto the roof of the building.

The moon was big and high in the sky. It struck the city like a dreamscape. Face watched Thomas's expressions as he took in the sight. The city was vast and covered in sand and debris. Far to their right, a loud clatter erupted and when he looked at where the sound was coming from, it appeared as if the buildings were moving and shifting. With another crash, a building far to their left fell to the sandy floor as if it was being pulled into the ground.

Thomas's heart raced as he tried to grasp the magnitude of their new dilemma. He subconsciously tugged on Face's hand and held her closer. She watched his face with concern.

"What the hell are you doing here?" an unexpectedly loud voice asked. They snapped their head in the direction and saw Newt standing by the door.

Quick as a snake, Face jumped at him and shoved him against the wall with her hand over his mouth. He reacted and grabbed her around the waist, spun her and shoved her back against the wall. She laughed and quickly covered her mouth with her hands.

"I knew you were trouble." Newt said in her face.

"Newt, we have to be quiet up here." Thomas whispered urgently, urging Newt to let her go. She shoved him off and ran to the edge of the roof. She scanned the horizon as Newt finally saw where they were.

"Oh my…" He started but Thomas shushed him.

Face gasped and turned to the door. She rushed them in and shut the door behind them with more effort than it took to open it. Soft thuds started coming from the door as they stood in complete darkness. His heart racing, Thomas searched for the lantern and tried to switch it on by sense alone.

When the dim light came on, Face was banging her forehead against the door. Thomas sighed in relief. She whirled around and started hitting Newt.

"Are your insane?" she cried. Thomas wrapped his arms around her waist and had to pick her up to pull her away from Newt. He stood between them as they calmed down.

"If they heard us..." She mumbled into her hands trying to calm herself.

"What did I do?" Newt asked confused.

Face glared at him.

"We were supposed to be quiet out there." Thomas answered.

"Why? What's out there?"

"Things from nightmares." Face murmured.

She stared off into the distance, horrified, as if she was seeing what she was describing. "Half metal half biological dark creatures, with many limbs of spikes, shears, and rods. They make purring and ticking noises when they move."

"We've seen Grievers before." Newt said. "We've actually killed some too."

"What? Grievers?" she came back to the present.

"Yeah, those things you just described. Grievers."

"We call them Chasers. Some times even Catchers." She smiled darkly at her own joke. "But they're not the only things that are out there. And they're not what I'm worried about."

"What else is there?" Thomas asked.

"The dead."


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: There is a "Follow/Favorite" button on the top and bottom of the page if you want to stay updated. Fanfiction then sends you a mail every time I add a new chapter.

Chapter 4

The silence that followed was remarkably loud. Thomas and Newt stared at Face as she refused to explain. She shuddered and stepped towards the stairs.

"We should go to bed. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day."

"Please explain: The dead." Thomas asked, stopping her halfway down the stairs.

"I can't. I shouldn't. Please forget that I said that. We could get into so much trouble for having been on the roof." She continued down the stairs and they followed.

Eventually she was running faster than they could keep up and by the time they reached the sixth floor, she was gone.

"I don't like her." Newt said as they started walking to their dorm.

"She knows." Thomas mumbled. "Why?"

"I don't know. I just don't trust her. I don't trust anyone here. But she's particularly annoying because of the way she looks at you."

"Me? How… how does she look at me?"

"Not you in particular. Just the way she stares. Like she's reading your mind. It's unnatural."

Thomas stared at Newt as he tried to figure out what he was thinking when he realized he was still holding the lantern. He switched it off and they walked into the dorm.

The next morning, the lock down alarm woke them and as the thuds and clicks came from the walls, the windows opened and light fell into the room.

A lanky teenage boy waited for them to make their beds and took the boys to the showers and wardrobe.

Wardrobe was an entire floor devoted to clothes. It was divided between boys and girls, then size/age and then occasion. Mind you, it was merely sleep clothes and regular day clothes. The one wall was devoted to shoes. Stacks of unopened clothes remained in a corner while there was a lone rack with various uniforms abandoned.

They each got sleepwear and daywear with shoes and socks that actually fit. It wasn't bulk clothing that all looked the same. They actually managed to each pick something they liked and there were variations.

The showers were communal with only rippled glass between them. There was a whole wall lined with sinks and they each got a toothbrush and soap. It took them longer to shower than they hoped and a few boys were struck with icy cold water as Anna had warned.

After brushing their teeth, combing their hair and getting dressed, they took their nightwear to their beds and headed to the cafeteria for breakfast.

Newt searched around for Face and jumped when he caught Thomas staring at him with a grin.

"What you doing there, Newt?" Thomas teased. "Searching for the enemy?"

"What you on about?" Newt frowned and walked away.

With breakfast they each got a small plastic cup with medication inside. The boys stared at the tablet and waited for Thomas to tell them what to do with it.

"They're necessary." Anna slid into a seat next to Minho. "It is just vitamins."

"Where do you get this?" Minho asked as he turned the capsule in his fingers.

"Raiders find them in the city." Anna swallowed her pill and moved on to her food. They seemed to accept it and all took it quickly.

"Raiders?" Minho pried.

"Everything will be explained to you after breakfast. Patrick will give you all jobs and you can all contribute to the community." She motioned across the room at a muscular young man, possibly the oldest boy in the whole room.

They all looked quickly and returned to eating. Thomas noticed Face talking to Patrick. She was arguing with him and he grabbed her arm roughly. Her posture suddenly changed and it looked as if she grew a few inches just by standing upright. She said something stern and he dropped his grip as if she was a hot iron.

They finished their breakfast and chatted curiously about the coming day, asking Anna all sorts of questions.

Newt took his tray to the tray stand and ran into Face. She crushed her mini cup with the pill still inside and trashed it.

"Well, if it isn't Trouble." He stated.

"I already have a nickname, two actually." She sneered and stepped away. She was gone before he could ask why she wasn't taking the vitamin.

"Really don't like her." Newt mumbled to no one.

After everyone had cleared the cafeteria, they all remained seated and faced the wide white wall. The newbies did as everyone else did.

Patrick started explaining about the map of the city. A drawing of the basic map was drawn on the white wall and several districts were marked in different colors.

"The port is clear for raiding. Vivian, Carl, and Luna, your teams go in and collect what you can find. Jen, Tertian and Heidi, your teams are on clean up and dinner duty. Fin…" He called out name after name and gave instructions. After he'd told everyone what to do, he asked whether the newbies where particularly good in anything. Frypan and Teresa went over to Heidi's table to help in the kitchen; Minho and a few others joined the Raiders and a few joined Patrick on the safety team. Thomas remained undecided.

Patrick eventually insisted that Thomas join them in safety, as everyone said he was the fastest runner.

"Who still doesn't have assignments?" Patrick asked the newbie table. Newt raised his hand, Face grumbled loudly, and Patrick turned to her.

"What are you doing today?"

"Golden hall." She said. Her choice seemed to amuse Patrick. Thomas was surprised that she was the only one on her own mission. He suddenly realized he wanted to go where she was going.

"Take him with you." Patrick motioned to Newt who started frowning. "You have a problem, Face?"

She sighed.

"You don't like him?" Patrick asked openly.

"No." she answered honestly.

"Good." He reached to touch her face and she flinched away from his touch. "Let's do this."

And then, as if everyone knew what to do, the large group disassembled. Thomas patted Newt on the shoulder and walked over to Patrick's group. Newt watched Face and she pretended to ignore him. She pulled a piece of paper closer and swiftly drew out a map. She checked it and then shoved it in Newt's ribcage, winding him.

"If we end up separated, this is your way back here. I won't have your head on my list. No matter what time of the day or what happens, you must return here if you lose me."

"Alright." Newt folded the paper and stuffed it in his pocket. He smiled to himself when his pocket was actually intact.

"You must be back here before nightfall. If you're not, I will hunt you down and kill you myself."

"What if you're outside after nightfall?"

"I won't be."

"You sound really sure about yourself."

"I know me. You don't. I will be back before nightfall."

"But what if you're not?" He countered.

"I'm one hell of a climber. If you're here and I'm not, then you go open the door on the roof so I can climb my way into the building."

"It's twelve stories. That's madness."

"Yeah. That's why I'll be back before nightfall." She took a deep breath. "We both will be."

"So. What is the Golden hall?"

"You and your questions." She shook her head and walked away, Newt followed.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Face walked to the elevator and they headed up to wardrobe.

"Do you run?" she asked.

Newt scoffed. "Yeah."

"Fast?"

They glared at each other. Face stepped back and broke eye contact.

"I'll answer your questions if you answer mine." She said just as they reached their floor.

"Sounds fair. I'll start: Why do you hate me so much? You don't even know me."

She gasped and avoided looking at him. "I can't answer that."

They walked into wardrobe and she handed him a backpack.

"This is going to be a long day." Newt mumbled with a sigh. Face glanced at him and signed too.

"I don't hate you." She finally said as they stepped back onto the elevator. "I just can't read you. It's unsettling."

"You can ask me anything. I won't lie. You don't need your magic."

She gasped and watched him intensely. He frowned deeply and ignored the invasive feeling he got as he stared back. She snapped her head away and they headed out once the elevator arrived on the loading dock.

Once their feet hit the ground, they started at a jog. The road was clear and a bit dusty but not as sandy as other parts of the city. They ran straight into the center of the city where a statue still stood proudly in a park. The park, like everything else was covered in sand, but it looked like it had once been a place of enjoyment. Face stopped and watched the abandoned playground as if was a daily ritual.

After a few seconds, she pointed in a direction and they set off again. After leaving the even road, they started running on the sand, which proved more difficult.

It did not take long before they reached the Golden Hall. Newt instantly knew that they'd reached their destination when he laid eyes on the building covered in gold. The shiny yellow gold stood out against the red sand and was almost blinding.

They ran up the steps and onto the terrace. There were no doors, so they ran straight in. Inside they could see without squinting. The windows were all smashed, letting in loads of light, but it was still darker than outside.

"Newt. Same question."

"I don't know. Mostly because of the way you look at me. At Thomas. It's as if you can see things that no one else can see. _That's_ what's unsettling. "

"I _can_ see what others can't." She frowned. "Except with you. You have this look on your face, always have. I don't know what it means. You have a very expressive face, but this one I can't figure out." She pointed at his face as if she was drawing lines on him.

"What do you mean: always have? You've known me for a day."

She snapped her jaw shut and turned away. She shook her head and walked across the sandy floor.

"Fine. Don't answer that. Answer this: Why didn't you take your vitamin?" Newt raced to catch up.

"It's an experiment. I want to find out if I feel different without them."

"Do you?"

"Not yet."

"Why do you get to do whatever you want and everyone else has to follow instructions?"

"My turn!" she stopped him.

They'd been walking down a labyrinth of hallways all lit by skylights or broken windows. They came to a set of stairs leading down into the basement. She took something out of her pocket; some charcoal marbles and threw them down the stairs.

"Do you remember anything from your life before the maze?" she asked and before he could answer there were small explosions coming from the charcoal marbles. They shone a bright light that faded slowly.

"No of course not. No one does." Newt answered the question and they stepped down the stairs. She threw more marbles into the hallway at the bottom of the stairs and they waited. Without the marbles flaring, it was rather dark down there.

"Why do you get…" Newt started but she cut him off with her answer.

"Because Patrick seems to be under the impression that he owns me. So he lets me do whatever I want. As if we're royalty. As if we were together before the maze. Destined to be together. Too bad he's wrong. Plus, he's scared of me." She was annoyed.

Newt felt his own anger build inside him and he was curious as to which part it was that made him feel that way. The marbles had ignited and they moved forward. She bent down and threw a large handful as far as she could.

"What part did you play in your escape of the maze?" She asked.

"Nothing… Well, I guess I just enabled it." Newt watched the marbles flair. "When Alby got stung, I was in charge and I told Thomas to get us out at all costs."

Face threw marbles into a room and waited.

"How do you know that Patrick is wrong about you two?"

She glanced at him before stepping into the room. It was dark but the marbles gave a bit of light. Face grabbed the first thing she could find and threw it at the high basement window. The window cracked and sand started flooding in, as it kept pouring in, the glass broke completely and light eventually glided into the room.

It was a very cold and metallic room. The floors and walls were sterile white and metal gurneys and medical equipment stood around the room. One wall was covered in metal drawers. Face stepped backwards in shock and stepped right into Newt. He didn't even notice as he took in the sight of the morgue. There was old blood on the floor and trails of it lead to the hallway.

Face turned quickly to get out but ended up face-to-face with Newt.

"Uhm… " He whispered, staring into her eyes. "What are we doing… here?"

"I don't want to be in here." She breathed.

"What were we…" he started but she cut him off by putting her hand over his mouth and listening intently towards the door. She held her finger over her lips, motioning for him to stay quiet as she tiptoed to the door. Newt didn't understand her fear when he heard footsteps in the hallway. She glanced out the door into the darkness and quickly stepped aside, closing the door as slowly and softly as she could manage.

"Help me." She whispered urgently and reached for the wall cabinet. Newt noticed she was shaking as they pulled the cabinet in front of the door. She grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the window where she slid down the wall and watched the door intensely.

"What's going on?" Newt whispered. He hunched down next to her. She looked extremely frightened and he didn't know what to do to calm her.

"They're out there. We have to stay in here."

"Who?"

"The dead." She ran her fingers through her hair banged the back of her head against the wall. The footsteps seemed to scurry around the hallway as if it didn't know where to go.

"You saw a dead person? Maybe it's just one of the other teams."

"It is. He was. I saw him." She realized he didn't know what she was talking about. "When the virus takes over, the people don't die. They just get wild and strong and extremely violent. They live in the darkness, down in the basements of buildings and come out at night. They are really fast, and live on cats and rats, which I don't know where they come from. But they'd eat each other if they have to."

The footsteps seemed to have scurried away.

"How do you know these things?" Newt asked.

"I've been outside the manor at night. Only once and I almost died. They may be unnaturally fast but they can't climb. And the added risk of the changing buildings makes it even worse. But they seem to have some sense about which buildings are going to change because they have a knack for avoiding them."

"This is insane." Newt mumbled.

Footsteps moved outside the door.

"We should get out of here." Face jumped up and examined the window. It was rather slim but they might be able to squeeze through if they got rid of the glass shards and sand. Newt pulled a gurney closer and they started cleaning the glass away. After a while, there was a big enough gag for them to get through.

"Face?" a voice suddenly called from the far end of the hallway. "Newt?" It was most definitely Thomas.

"No…" Face exhaled.

Face nearly fell of the gurney. She frantically raced to the door and she and Newt pushed the cabinet out of the way. She opened the door and slid into the hallway. She could barely see Thomas standing at the far dark en of the hall.

"Thomas, walk here as fast and quietly as you can." She instructed him. Thomas turned in her direction and threw marbles on the floor. As they flared, Thomas saw her by the door. And she saw what she had been dreading: dead walker right behind Thomas.

"Thomas, RUN."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The Dead walker screeched when the marbles flared. Thomas flinched and started running; he got halfway before his pursuer was on him. They struggled and fell to the floor. Face screamed and ran into the hall towards him. Newt followed her. She grabbed a flashlight from her bag and threw it at Thomas, intentionally hitting the dead walker first. It barely noticed the hit as it tried desperately to bite Thomas.

Thomas grabbed the flashlight and turned it on. The bright light made the walker squeal again and it retreated. Face motioned for Newt to help Thomas get up and before they could register what was going on, she pulled out a gun, and fired at the walker. She hit him perfectly through the head and he fell on his back.

"What the hell?!" Thomas breathed.

Face tucked the gun away and hunched next to the dead walker.

"I'm sorry James." She whispered and struggled to get up again.

After the buzz from the gunshot died down, she turned to look at Newt and Thomas. They were watching her intently.

She jerked when she saw the silhouette of another person standing just outside the light of the room they had occupied.

"Thomas, did you come here alone?" she whispered as she walked closer and reached for the flashlight.

"Patrick brought me to the building, he told me you'd be in the basement."

She took the flashlight and tilted the light towards silhouette. It screeched.

"This way," she yelled as they set off running, the dead walker on their heels. Face turned the light in her hand, illuminating the ground behind them. This kept the follower at a distance. Face led them down another hallway and before they reached a dead-end, they turned into a dark stairway. They shut the door and hurried up the stairs. Footsteps followed them from lower levels and they kept the light near them. They ran up two levels before Face ran into the door.

The struggled to get the door open and the footsteps kept getting closer. Face cried out and ran further up the stairs. They reached the next floor and pulled and pushed at the door. The door swung open and they fell into a brightly lit hallway. They shut the door behind them and tried to catch their breaths.

"What was that?" Thomas asked.

"The dead." Face answered what she considered it to be a stupid question.

"The infected don't die." Newt explained. "They turn into that, and they still live in the city."

"Like stupid Zombies?" Thomas asked, wondering why he even knew what that was.

"No, more like vampires. They move fast and bite…"

"Zombies bite." Newt added. "I don't know how I know that."

"Why did you come here?" Face asked Thomas.

"Patrick wanted me to warn you about a sand storm."

"And he sent you alone into the basement? We could have been anywhere. I'm going to kill him."

"I have to go back."

"Don't tell him that I want to kill him. I want him to be surprised." She said and added. "I'm kidding," when they stared at her, shocked. "You should go, before the sand storm."

Face walked him to the open plan lobby. And he left down the wide stairs. She and Newt watched him run down the street as the wind picked up in the distance.

"We going back down there?" Newt asked.

"No, it's not safe. We'll check out the upper floors." She turned and they walked to the nearest door. She opened the door and checked inside. There was a bit of light in the room and she walked across the floor to the window where she ripped the curtains open.

"Library?" Newt mused as he checked out the stacks of books. "I don't remember anything about my life before the maze but I remember what a library looks like?"

Face gave him a loaded look. "You don't remember anything?" she asked.

"No, but it sounds as if you do." Newt crossed his arms. She looked away and started scanning the books.

"Just boring books. Laws and things that are redundant now." She said as she threw another book down.

She turned back to the window and threw a heavy book through the window.

"What did you do that for?"

"So that no sand can ever block the window and make this room dark."

"They don't like the light, do they? That's vampire for you." Newt frowned. "Why do I know that?"

"Concept studies. We studied a lot of things before going into the mazes."

"What was your maze like? Who led you out? How long were you in there?" Newt asked without thinking.

"It was like a jungle. Everything was always wet but it didn't rain as much as we wanted it to. There were snakes and bugs everywhere." She shuddered. "I was the last girl they sent up. And then Patrick and all went to hell after that."

"Same happened with us when Thomas came up. Did you lead them out?"

"I had to. Things got really bad really quickly and we had to get out or die."

"How many got out?"

"Seventeen." She paused. "Only two of us in the manor now."

"Patrick."

Face sighed and looked out the window. "We should probably go before the storm comes."

"We'll come back?" Newt asked.

"Yeah." She nodded and they headed out.

They walked in silence out towards the city center as the wind blew lightly over the sand.

"What were you looking to find in the Golden Hall?" Newt finally asked.

"A map. Information. Identification. I don't know. Patrick's priority is to get the food and clothes and medical supplies out of the buildings as they change around. I want to find a way out."

"What's at the end of the city?" The ocean on the one side. Wasteland on the other."

"Then, where do you want to go?"

"They have to have a place where they're watching us from. If this is a test, they won't let us be out here without monitoring their test subjects. I just want to be away from here. Show them that they can't have me."

Newt watched her. A sudden wind nearly blew her off course and into him. The sand rose around them and blew in all directions.

"Perfect." she yelled as she tried to cover her face from the harsh sand. She had a genuine grin on her face and Newt didn't understand why.

"We should take cover." Newt called.

"Anywhere indoors wouldn't really be safe." She yelled and grabbed a corner of her outfit and twisted it around her. She was wrapped in layers of thin material and as she pulled it off layer-by-layer, she remained decently covered but the material was flying everywhere. She stepped closer to Newt and wrapped the material around them both like a veil. They moved to a corner where the wind wasn't trying to blow them over and sat down, covered in the cloak-like cover. It merely kept the sand out of their faces.

"You'll get cold." Was all Newt could think of saying as he looked at her exposed skin. She had distinctive scars but instead of it looking horrible, it actually made her look strong. Newt pulled her arm closer and saw a crescent shaped scar on her shoulder. She'd been watching his reactions to her scars and got bored. Newt looked up at her and frowned.

"Someone bit you?" she checked the mark he was referring to and pulled away from his touch.

"Yeah. That night I was out here alone."

"Doesn't that get you infected?"

"I suppose it should."

"But you're fine."

"Yeah." she twisted aside and showed him a strange mark. "I got stung too."

"You survived."

"I remember everything." She said suddenly.

"Thomas remembered everything too after he got stung."

She shook her head. "I've always remembered. When I woke up in the Maze, I knew everything. However, everyone I've told, has died." She looked at him intensely.

"Brilliant, you just signed my death warrant."

"No, that's why I'm telling you now. The wind and sand is drowning out every sound recorder out here."

"That's brilliant. Why are you telling me?"

"Because I remember you."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Before all of this, before the maze, before the tests, we were all in school together." Face explained. "We were paired up for optimal learning. You and me."

"How old were we?"

"Just kids. I used to sound like you because we were from the same program."

"What?"

She sighed, trying to find a way to explain that didn't sound as insane as it was. "When the virus broke out, a whole generation was almost lost. Most people couldn't handle the change, and they died. Some people, the healthy ones who weren't infected were all placed together in 'living programs'. Our parents were survivors from the same country. Because they had that in common, they were friends. People used to do that: connect due to something they have in common."

"We're related?" a jolt went through Newt.

"No. My parents were friends with your parents. Focus Newt." She smiled. "You always had trouble focusing. So did I, but for a different reason."

"What reason was that?" Newt frowned.

"My brain works different. Of course it didn't help that you're so adorable." She said and Newt gasped, shocked by her honesty. She waved it off. "I see the truth in others, I choose to speak it too. I don't lie. It's called…"

"Radical honesty." He finished her sentence; curious as to how he knew that.

"Hey you remembered that." She stared at him. "That thing you said this morning about not needing 'magic', you've said that to me before. That's why I thought you can remember too."

"I'm sorry." Newt wished he could remember her. She shook her head, dismissing his apology.

"Why didn't we end up in the same maze?" Newt suddenly wondered.

"When the trials started, they changed everything."

They were quiet for a while. The wind started to calm down a bit.

"I was pulled from your faction because I was different." She finally said. "My brain doesn't work like anyone else's. I see things that others can't, I can calculate faster, I don't forget anything and I can read people and manipulate them. I was dangerous to them. And my only weakness was you. That's why they moved me."

"We can never talk about this again, okay?" she said after a while.

"Right." He snapped out of a trance. "Yeah, right. Death warrant and all that."

She nodded and wrapped her arms around herself.

"You're getting cold?" Newt asked.

"It's getting late."

She stood slowly, allowing him to react and stand up with her. Once up, the veil pulled them together and Newt wrapped his arms around her, warming her.

"I've missed you." She whispered. Newt closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He tried to remember anything but came up blank.

"I…" he tried but didn't know what to say to her.

"Don't. No. Don't worry about it. Remembering is my problem, not yours." She stood back quickly and pulled the covering apart, loosely wrapping it around herself in an attempt to redo the outfit she had on before. Her quick action gave Newt whiplash.

After she was satisfied with her outfit, they set off back to the manor. The wind had died down and they ran in silence. By the time they reached the building, several other kids were clearing sand off the landing and loading things into the building.

Once inside, they saw Patrick and his boys talking in a group. Thomas stood from his seat and Patrick discharged the group.

"Hey, Moron!" Face called and Patrick turned to her. She grabbed his shirt and pushed him against a crate. "You sent a newbie into the basement alone without confirmation of my whereabouts?"

Patrick laughed, amused that she was manhandling him. Some of the boys tried to pull her off him but Patrick shook his head and motioned for them to leave her.

"He's a pretty smart kid, I knew he'd be fine."

"You're an ass!" she shoved him again. "He could have died, or been bitten. He would not have made my list, I swear Patrick he would have been on yours. And I would have come here and killed you."

"You're cute when you're mad." Patrick snickered. She shoved him again, harder this time, winding him. Newt touched her shoulder trying to pull her away but she let go of Patrick and rounded on Newt.

"You can go now." She said with acid. "You're not my problem anymore. Go play with your friends."

Newt stepped away as if she'd struck him, she turned and walked away alone. Thomas walked over to Newt and shrugged.

"She doesn't like you either, does she?" Thomas joked. Newt's confusion cleared.

"No, she doesn't." Newt said and rolled his eyes. "Girls are weird."

The alarm went off a bit later when they were all starting to gather in the cafeteria. All of the new kids gathered at their table and chattered about their day. The ones who had stayed behind talked about processing the gathered goods from the previous day and kitchen duty. The raiders talked about the things they had managed to get. Thomas and Newt listened to the others talk while they looked around the room for Face.

She eventually showed up on the other side of the room. She walked to an empty table and sat down facing the map wall.

After staring at her unmoving figure for a long time, Thomas stood and headed towards Face.

"You okay?" Thomas asked when he sat down next to her. She flinched.

"I'm fine." She answered automatically.

"Rough day?"

"Patrick almost got you killed."

"Not to mention being forced to spend the day with Newt." Thomas joked but then added. "He's a great guy, Face. Just give him a chance." She stared at him for a second.

"I guess so." She shook her head and stood up. She grabbed a marker off the floor and walked along the wall. Thomas followed.

The entire wall was covered in a drawn map of the city. From far it looked like a work of art. Moved and shattered buildings were wiped out but remained like ghosts behind new drawings. Close up, Thomas could see words and names scribbled in several places like symbols.

Face walked past the map towards a long list of names that reminded Thomas of the list they had in the Maze. She stopped and drew a line through James. Then after a while of just staring at the name, she wrote her own name next to the line. With a sigh, she looked up at Thomas and noticed his frown.

"James was the boy that attacked you today. He was lost to us when he was outside after lock down. I killed him today." She explained.

Thomas looked at the other names, her name was written next to a few scratched out names. Her name was also written bellow another name, but was erased and stood faded against the rest. Thomas touched the trace of her name.

"I was outside once." She answered his unasked question. "With Patrick." She rolled her eyes.

"That's why you get to do whatever you want." Thomas mused.

Face grabbed a ladder in the corner and walked with it to the map. She climbed to the Golden Hall and wrote something in the margins of the picture: Daniel.

"I want to get out of here, Thomas." She whispered as she scanned the map and names.

"Patrick said there is nowhere to go. We would die out there."

"We're already dying in here." She mumbled.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"We're already dying in here." Face said and walked away.

She took a few steps away from the wall and suddenly started screaming. She inhaled loudly and held her breath as she clutched her head. Thomas ran closer and saw that only a few other kids ran towards her. The lack of concern shocked him. Her skin paled as she went limp into Newt's outstretched arms. He had been one of the few running closer and caught her just in time.

"Get out of the way!" Patrick yelled and pushed through the jam of kids gathered around Face.

Patrick took Face out of Newt's awkward hold and carried her to the elevator. Thomas gaped at Newt for a second before racing after Patrick. Newt followed him and they ended up barely making the elevator before the doors closed. Little Anna stood next to Patrick as he held Face in his arms.

"What are you doing here?" Thomas asked Newt when he eventually took his eyes off Face and noticed that Newt was with him.

"What do you mean?" Newt was offended.

"You don't like her." Thomas said simply.

"Yeah, and she doesn't like you. So why do you care?" Patrick added.

"Yeah, yeah. I _don't_ care." Newt realized that he was screwing up. "But you obviously do. I'm here for _you_ man." Newt said to Thomas, trying to seem nonchalant.

They reached the tenth floor and the doors opened. Patrick carried her into the room that looked a lot more like a hospital than the dorm room they shared. He gently dropped her on a bed. Anna scurried calmly around the room as if this was a routine event. She placed a glass of water next to the bed and pulled the shutters. Then she walked to Face and attempted to turn her on her side.

Newt crossed his arms to stop himself from helping. Thomas stepped up and helped her.

"You should leave." Patrick scowled at Newt.

Newt looked at the four faces in the room and nodded.

"Yeah." He said as he backed out of the room. "I'll save you a seat." He said to Thomas and left.

"You can go too," said Anna as she pulled out a silver blanket and threw it over Face.

"What happened to her?" Thomas asked. "You're acting like this is normal."

"It is." Anna tucked the blanket in tight. "She gets blinding headaches. She sleeps them off and then she's fine."

"Why?"

"She probably had a rough day."

Thomas thought about the Walkers that chased them and thought better than to mention it. For some reason it felt to him as if that whole attack was supposed to remain secret. He looked at Patrick and saw that he seemed to challenge him.

"Yeah, Newt said they were working hard." Thomas said. "I guess I'll go to dinner then. Uhm. Take care of her."

Thomas walked to the cafeteria and found his spot next to Newt. The other Gladers chattered on about their day but Newt kept an eye on Thomas. Newt had to stop himself from asking what is wrong with Face.

"I hate Patrick." Thomas mumbled when Patrick joined his safety squad at their table.

"Me too." Newt couldn't stop himself and Thomas looked at him confused.

"Face doesn't like him." Newt added.

"Why do you care?" Thomas asked. "You don't like her."

"It's… no…" Newt tried and sighed. "I don't hate her. I just didn't trust her. I told you."

"Didn't?" Thomas picked.

Newt swallowed, thinking about his choice of words. "She's bossy and crazy, but after saving your life today, I trust her a bit more than I did yesterday."

That satisfied Thomas and after dinner the ids started filing out in small groups until they all ended up in their dorm rooms. Newt, Minho and Thomas took beds by the door again, but they were far more relaxed than the previous night. After the lights went out, the chatter died away and eventually, Thomas jumped from his bed and walked out. He headed up the stairs to the tenth floor and slipped into the hospital room. The room was slightly lit by a night-light by Face's bed and he could see that she was still sleeping.

Thomas walked closer and touched her forehead. He didn't know why he did it, but ignored his confusion. The glass of water remained untouched on the table and the blanket was still tightly tucked around her. Thomas jumped onto the bed next to her and stayed the night. He drifted in and out of sleep, dreaming a mixture of things about the Maze and the tests before.

Face appeared in his dreams. Her hair was longer and braided around her head. She was wearing the same white uniform-like outfit he remembered from the tests. Teresa sat next to Thomas, holding his hand. They all looked a bit younger. Chuck was there and Gally and Alby too. There were girls around them that he didn't recognize. Face sat next to Newt, whispering things in his ear. Thomas felt a pang of jealousy as Newt tugged at her braid. The dream changed and they were standing in long lines with adults pointing them all in different directions. A few kids were holding hands, as they stood in line, side by side. He was holding Teresa's hand and he saw Newt and Face get pointed in different directions ahead of them.

Her name was Zaydeen, he remembered. Newt yelled her name and she tried to get to him, but an adult grabbed her and carried her away.

"Don't split the twins," an adult said as he and Theresa reached the front of the line. He walked with her in the direction Newt was still yelling from.

Thomas jerked awake. He was in the hospital room, next to Face. He looked around, wondering what had woken him. The mansion was quiet as he tried to look around the dark room. Nothing.

He stood slowly with the intention of heading back to his own bed. Halfway to the door, Face sat upright with a loud gasp. She scanned around the room and locked eyes with Thomas.

"Are you okay?" he asked and returned to her side.

"Where is Newt?" She asked quickly. "Don't let them kill him."

"Newt's okay. He's upstairs, sleeping. No one wants to kill him." He tried to soothe her. She took a deep breath, seemingly calming down.

"What are you doing here?" she suddenly asked him.

"I was worried about you. Just came to check on you, and then I fell asleep."

"I'm okay. It happens all the time." She mumbled. "You should get some sleep. You have work tomorrow."

"Yeah. Right. I'm glad you're okay."

"Thomas." She bit her lip. "Thank you for checking on me."

He nodded and walked out. After a few seconds, Face looked towards the shadows by the door.

"Thank you too, Newt." She said.

With a chuckle, Newt stepped into the light.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Life at the Mansion became habit. The alarm woke them, showers, breakfast and then chores before returning in time for lock down and dinner.

They swapped chores around for a few days until they all tried everything and found the place they belonged. Face kept insisting that Newt stay with her and equipped him with a gun and shooting lessons. The Gladers ended up dividing into new friend groups according to their daily jobs. Thomas and Newt ate their meals with Face and even though it was strange to Thomas at first, they eased into a tolerance. Of course, they only pretended to hate each other after that first day. And every day after that they got closer and closer to being friends. When working, they couldn't talk about their secrets and kept it to themselves.

On their sixth day, the vibe in the Manor seemed more relaxed. When they got to the cafeteria, it was sparsely occupied. Some kids even slummed around in their sleepwear.

"It's rest day." Anna informed them. "Some times we go to the dock and swim in the ocean. But I don't think anyone wants to go out with all that wind."

After breakfast, they went upstairs to the top floor and found it to be an amusement room. There were books stacked on the walls, the floor was covered in tables and couches and playthings. Half the kids were already occupying the toys and craft area.

Thomas felt something flick his hair, and turned around but there was no one there. Newt felt a flutter of touch in his neck and turned to look at Thomas but he wasn't close. Air rushed over his neck and Newt turned again.

Face giggled and both Thomas and Newt looked up. She was hanging upside down from an opening in the ceiling.

She reached down and placed her hands on Newt's shoulders before letting go and dropping into his arms.

"Come with me." She whispered.

"Where are we going?" Newt breathed.

"It's low tide. Come on." She smiled and pulled Newt to the door.

"You too Thomas." Face called, reaching for his hand.

They went down to the wardrobe floor and grabbed their basic runner backpacks. She searched behind piles of clothes and got them each a pair of sunglasses.

"Why don't we get these every day?" Thomas asked.

"Because it's really windy today and we wont be able to open our eyes without the glasses." She grabbed another bag and they headed downstairs.

Outside, the glasses did help against the sand. Face pointed in a direction and they ran away from the Manor.

The docks were once the main harbor. But now, ships stood on dry sand abandoned next to broken wooden piers. The ocean barely started half a mile away from the deck. Face pointed again and they ran parallel to the water. Eventually the buildings and the water collided and the ocean stretched a little into the city.

"Do you trust me?" Face yelled.

"Why?" Newt asked.

"Just," she smiled. "Follow me."

She ran into the water, away from the city. The water level rose as they started swimming towards a glass building that stood in the middle of the water. Face took off her glasses, placed them in her bag and told them to do the same. The wind was still harsh. But the sand was far away.

"Swim." She simply said and duck dived into the depths of the water. The boys followed and swam deeper into the water. She reached an open door and swam inside, aiming upwards to the surface.

They ended up inside the glass hotel. The whole place was an open plan hotel lobby with all the rooms on the city's side. Metal beams held the glass side in place. The bottom of the lobby was already covered in ocean life and they swam to the stair where they could climb out.

"Welcome to my world." Face smiled. They stood on the terrace and looked out to the ocean view.

"Walker's can't get here?" Thomas asked.

"They don't like the light." Face took off her bags and opened them, placing towels on the dry floor before taking off her (now wet) layered outfit.

"Why don't you bring the others here?"

"Because this is my world. Have…" she paused, "fun."

They spent most of the morning swimming around the lobby. The doors to the covered floors were all open and light was streaming in from everywhere. The sun was getting high so they took cover under one of the balconies. Face sat halfway in the water on the stairs, Thomas lounged on the dry floor and Newt fluttered around.

"What's up the stairs?" Thomas asked.

"Just rooms. Undisturbed and unused."

"Maybe there's stuff we can take back with us?"

"Anything we take out of here will get wet, or ruined."

"I'll go look around. Just curious."

Thomas climbed the stairs to higher floors and out of view.

"He's safe on his own?" Newt asked. "Are we?"

Face nodded. Newt swam closer and sat next to her, tilting his head closer.

"Can they hear us?" Newt whispered in her ear.

"No." she whispered back, tilting her head to match his. "Not if you're whispering."

"Can they see us?"

"I don't know. I like to think that I'm here alone. As if they don't exist."

She sighed and tilted her head to rest against his. Newt pulled her drying hair behind her ear and ran his thumb across her cheek.

"I'm here…" Newt breathed and kissed her. It was a soft and gentle kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. He cupped her face and tucked her chin down with his thumb, parting her lips. The kiss intensified until she pulled away, catching her breath. She held his brow against hers as their breathing slowed.

Newt opened his eyes and saw tears on her cheek.

"Are you crying?" He asked.

"I don't want them to take you away from me again." She whispered.

Newt pulled her closer and held her tightly. "I'm not going anywhere."

"What's going on?" Thomas asked from the top of the stairs.

"We…" Newt pulled away and looked at Face. "We're together." He said simply. "Matched."

Thomas descended the stairs and sat down close to them.

"You're not related?" Thomas asked. Face turned and stared at him.

"Why would you ask that?" she asked.

"I had a strange dream the other night. It was just a dream."

"What did you dream?" Face insisted.

"Kids. A school. Standing in line. Teresa. You two." Thomas boiled it down to the basics. "I dreamt Teresa and I are twins."

"You are." Face said before she could stop herself.

"How do you know that?" Thomas asked. Face slapped her hand over her lips and closed her eyes.

"You two look alike." She mumbled, wanting the conversation done with.

"You sounded like Newt. In the dream. Same accent. That's why I asked."

Newt stared at Face.

"Just a dream." She said quickly.

"I don't think it was though." Thomas mumbled. "I remember things from before the maze. Maybe being here reminded me of things even before that. Your name was Zaydeen. I can't make that up, can I?"

Face bit her lip.

"I'm sorry." Thomas shook his head, clearing it. "You probably don't remember anything."

Face turned away, hoping the conversation was over.

"What is that?" Thomas asked as he snuck closer. He touched her back, where she had been stung. She twisted around and covered the spot with her hand, but his attention got drawn to a bite mark on her arm. He dropped her arm like it was hot and recoiled quickly.

"How? When? What?" Thomas was confused.

"I got stung by a Chaser and bitten by a walker. A few actually. Nothing happened to me."

"You didn't need the injection?" Thomas asked. "That's why you don't remember anything."

"Yeah." Face stood quickly. "We should go back."

"You're immune to the virus? You must be the cure." Thomas realized.


End file.
